WHAT TO DO FOR HEAD CONCUSSION VIDEO AND MORE WHAT IS AND WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF IT
WHAT TO DO FOR HEAD CONCUSSION VIDEO AND MORE WHAT IS AND WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF IT
A head concussion is one of the most prominent of sports injuries. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to outlaw football after 19 college football players were killed or paralyzed from brain or spinal cord injuries. (Statistic from Maroon et al., Neurosurgery, 47:659-672, 2000.) I've written previously about concussion in Purple Medical Blog. It's such an important topic because there are so many young athletes including many who choose to ignore or even hide their symptoms.
Video About Brain Injury Head Concussion Click the Arrow
"Without rest, a head concussion victim risks developing post-concussion syndrome, which can include not only headaches, dizziness and nausea but also a loss of memory, difficulty paying attention, fatigue, mood swings and personality changes, symptoms that in some cases last a lifetime". That according to a neuropsychologist writing in the NY Times.A head concussion is a mild to severe brain injury in which trauma such as a blow to the head or neck causes a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head. You may or may not pass out. Even though the brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, protected by the skull and cushioned by the meninges i.e. the linings of the central nervous system, the impact of a concussion can cause brain damage and repeated concussions can cause cumulative damage to the brain.
Second Impact Syndrome is where an athlete who has received a head injury sustains a second injury before the symptoms of the first injury have resolved. Like this story,"A 17 year-old high school football player died after suffering a severe brain injury while trying to break the wedge on a kick-off. The accident took place in a game on September 28, 2001. He had a previous concussion on September 15, 2001 . Cause of death was second impact syndrome brain injury."
"At greatest risk for post-concussion syndrome are people who have had concussions before, have a family member with a psychiatric disorder or have a condition like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, seizures or bipolar disorder. Also, the risk is greater for females than for males."
"Children aged 5 to 18 suffer at least 96,000 sports-related concussions every year in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Even more troubling, as many as 20 percent of all high school football players sustain concussions annually, studies show. Because teenage brain tissue is still developing, injuries at this age can be especially damaging. Yet most high schools and colleges fail to provide athletes the kind of neuropsychological testing that’s needed to help them recover". (In a personal note I have encountered resistance to rest from students and even their parents who in their zeal to return to sports ask or demand to be allowed to return to active play prematurely, not to mention a minority of coaches who may actually also put pressure on a young athlete)
"It’s true that coaches have become better educated about concussions. The days of patting the athlete who’s had his “bell rung” on the backside and sending him back into the game are diminishing. Most now realize that someone who’s had a concussion needs rest. He or she may need to take a break from the sport, or even from school. This allows the brain to devote all its resources to healing".
